Pneumatic-action for musical instruments.



No. 726,913. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

F. W. HEDGELAND.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLIOATION FILED snr'r. a, 1901.

SHEETS-SHEET 1- PATENTBD MAY 5, 1903.

I, W. HEDGBLAND. PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED BEPT'. 3, 1901.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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- No. 726,913. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

F. W. HBDGBLAND.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

- APPLIOATIOH FILED snr'r. a. 1901.

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UNITED STAT S Patented May 5, 190a.

PATENT OFFICE.

v FREDERICK W. IIEDGELAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. KIMBALL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC-ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,913, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed September 3, 1901. Serial No. 74,066. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. HEDGE- LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic-Actions for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved construction to of the pneumatic-actions of musical instruments, and has been devised more especially for use in self-playing instruments and in piano-players. V

The invention is fully set forth in the specification given below; and it consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and novel combinations of parts and devices hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my invention, and Fig. 2 apartial plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows the several sections in plan and detached. Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial vertical section, and Fig. 2 6 is a detail of one of the valves.

In said drawings, 10 represents the usual perforated music-sheet, and 11 the trackerrange. The air-passages in the latter are each connected to an exhaust-Wind chest 12 by a series of pipes 13, only one of which is shown.

The bottom of the wind-chest is provided with a series of horizontal passages 14, which connect each with one of the pipes 13. Said passages 14 are also connected with the main 5 chamber of the chest by bleeding-passages 15, whereby the air is normally exhausted from passage 14, pipe 13, and their corresponding range-passage.

Between passage 14 and the main chamber of the wind-chest is located a membrane-m0- tor 16, carrying a button 17, with an upstanding stem. This membrane is normally neutralized, as exhaust prevails on both sides of it; but when a perforation of the music-sheet passes over the air-channel of the range corresponding to the passage 14 the equilibrium at the membrane is destroyed and the membrane then rises and gives motion to another membrane 18, placed under and closing when thus raised an opening 19 in the top of the wind-chest. The opening 19 extends through to the outer air, and at its top is a valve 20, having a stem depending far enough to be operated by membrane 18. From the side of opening 19 an air-passage 21 extends upward to the section of the channel-box supporting the pneumatic 22, controlled by and correspon ding to the passage 21. In the case illustrated this section isthe upper one of the series of sections, and itis designated as 50, the others being designated as 51, 52, and 53. The passage 21 leads to the under side of a membrane-motor 23, located in a chamber 24, formed in section 50 andin which the exhaust is constantly felt. In the top of the chamber is an opening 25, closed bya gravitating valve 26, having a stem depending far enough to be engaged by the button on membrane 23 when the latter is in fiated. The valve 26 is located in achamber 27, communicating with the pneumatic 22 by passage 28 and with the outer air by port 29. A second valve 30' is secured to the top of valve 26 and closes opening 29 when valve 26 opens.

' The operation of the parts described is briefly as follows: When a perforation in the music-sheet is passing over the tracker-range passage, a volume of air enters, permitting the inflation and operation of motor 16 by the suction present on its opposite side. This opens valve 20, admits air into passage 21, and permits the inflation of membrane 23, the suction drawing it upward. Membrane 23 now lifts valve 26 and closes valve 30. The pneumatic 22,.which is normally inflated with air from the port 28, will now be deflatedby the suction and impart motion to the valve or key which it is designed to operate.

The valve 26 and the valve 30 are made of thin sheet metal stamped into form with concavo-convex centers and upturned flanges. They are secured together at the center by the rivet which attaches the stem of valve 26, as plainly shown at Fig. 5. The valve 26 has cars 31 at opposite sides, and these ears 5 coact with pins 32 in ret'ain'ingthe valves in their proper vertical plane without interfer ing with their movemen ts at all,'the pins passing freely through openings '33 in the ears. Being simply guided by the pins, these valves seat themselves in close contact all around the openings guarded by them, and as they are both provided with ridges or angles 34 on tight closure.

The passages 21, chambers 24, the chambers of valves 26 and 30, and passages 28 of all the pneumatics 22 in the upper row of the latter are formed in section 50 of the divided action-board. Those belonging to the pneumatics in the second row are in like manner formed in the section 51, those belonging to the third row of pneumatics in section 52, and those to the fourth row in section 53. In addition to these features the section 51 has formed in it the passages 21, leading to section 50, as well as those leading to itself, and section 52 has embodied in it not only its own passages 21, but those of both sections 50 and 51 as well, and section 53 has the passages 21 of all three of the upper sections cut through it, in addition to its own passages 21. The sections are secured to ether by vertical bolts 54 passing through all of them and the wind-chest l2, and wherever necessary I place filling-pieces 55 between the adjacent sections. The passages 21 are cut through some of these pieces, as shown, and thus render the openings continuous, and the windtrunk openings 56 in the ends of the sections also pass through the filling-blocks, as will be understood. These wind-trunks communicate with the chambers 24 of the various sections and may also communicate with the main chamber of chest 12. In constructing the sections I usually employ four boards in each for convenience in cutting the internal passages and chambers. They are laid flat- Wise and are shown at 60, 61, 62, and 63, as are also the filling-pieces 55, and with the grain in all of them running in the same direction and parallel with the top and bottom surface of the sections. The filling-pieces extend around three sides of the sections, as indicated in broken lines at Fig. 4. With this construction it will be seen that the shrinkage occurring in vertical directions can be readily taken up by the bolts 54 and that such pressure may be maintained on the sections as will efiectually prevent any tendency to curl or warp by any piece of wood employed in their construction. The sections are readily re! ovable, as in order to take them apart it is only necessary to release the bolts 54 and detach the bracket 65, supporting the range. The sir-passages 21 and wind-trunks will be reestablished, of course, on replacing the sections. The filling-pieces are secured to each section.

The chest 12 is preferably provided with a hinged side 66, secured at top by screws 67. By opening this side access can be had to all parts of the chest. The openings in the bottom of passages 14 are convenient in putting in the tubes 13 and may be closed by flat strips 68.

It will be understood that the sections of the action-board may be extended to any length necessary to include all the notes in the instrument. I have shown them as containing the actions of only a limited number of notes.

I claim 1. A sectional action-board for the powerpneumatics embodying in each section a series of power-pneumatics, a corresponding se ries of valves controlling said pneumatics, a corresponding series of motors operating said valves, and an exhaust-chamber, the exhaustducts to said chamber and motors being formed partly in the same section therewith and partly in the other sections, substantially as specified.

2. The sectional action-board for the power pneumatics having in each section a series of pneumatic devices for controlling the powerpneumatics, the air-ducts for said devices passing through the section adjoining the one in which the devices are located, substantially as specified.

3. The sectional action-board for the powerpneumatics having in each section a series of pneumatic devices for controlling the powerpneumatics, the air-ducts for said devices being formed partly in the section in which the devices are located and partly in the adjoining section or sections, substantially as specitied.

4. The pneumatic-action board, consisting of sections eachembodying power-pneumatics and pneumatic devices for operating the same, and a wind-chest 12 embodying pneumatic devices for controlling the operation of the pneumatic devices in the sections, and clamping-bolts passing through the sections and the wind-chest, substantially as specified.

5. The sectional action-board in which each section is connected to part of the operatingpneumatics, and contains the air-passages controlling both its own pneumatics and those belonging to one or more of the other sections in combination with said pneumatics, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with the power-pneumatics 22, of an action-board made in separable sections, each section having within itself a pertion of said pneumatics with their corresponding valves, motors and exhaustchamber, and the ducts connecting the same to the exhaust and a wind-chest containing pneumatic devices controlling said motorducts, and means for clamping the sections and wind -chest together, substantially as specified.

FREDERICK W. HEDGELAND.

Witnesses:

LOUIS O. STARKEL, FRED. H. WOLFE. 

